Can He Save His Shooting Star From Herself?
by MidnightLotus627
Summary: Nothing enraged him more than watching his Shooting Star rotting in her own mind. She wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to lose kindness; or the way she smiled and laughed; or the color and life that seemed to surround her. He'd be damned if he let it go on for much longer. She was his, and he took care of what belonged to him. A/N - I don't own Gravity Falls
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Everything about this creature was revolting. The beast was almost too big to fit in the cave; the patches in the ceiling providing a decent amount of light on that _thing_. It's skin rotted in some places and you could see its bones in others. It's eyes are a neon orange color with no pupils. You could see it's nasal cavity; a cloud of sickly green smoke coming out with every exhale. It's limbs were mangled and it's hands were drenched in bright crimson blood.

 _This is all my fault. It's all my fault._

She looked up with dread and horror in her eyes, tears streaming down her face as she stared up at the screeching monster. She couldn't move, couldn't bring herself to do so. Her body was covered in scratches and bruises. And she was pretty sure her ankle was sprained and she had a concussion. Her mind was in chaos and Mabel wanted nothing more than for everything to rewind back to yesterday. At least then she would still be happy, still be with her family laughing at anything and everything. At least then she wouldn't be completely submerged in the guilt, fear, and the emptiness she was feeling now.

She could see the cave starting to crumble. She could faintly hear her twin and Grunkle Ford who were near the entrance; begging and screaming for her to move before it was too late. She could see in her mind the tears they shed for the now cold, maimed body she was trapped under. She felt the warm, sticky blood seeping into her favorite, now torn and dirty, sweater. She could feel the cave violently shaking all around her as the monster made its way towards her, screeching at a painful volume.

It's too much to handle. Everything around her was moving all too fast while she seemed to be stuck in that single position. She was having a hard time processing what was happening. She didn't want to move, not that she could anyways. Nor had she been able to mutter a single noise throughout the whole ordeal, not a scream or cry for help. While protecting her, Grunkle Stan had used his body to take the hit full on and fell on top of her as he fell. All the while telling her one last significant thing that he felt needed to be said, weakly smiling with tears in his own eyes.

" _I love ya, kid. We all do. Don't you ever forget, you got that?"_

At the moment, the pain, the agony, and the regret she felt completely engulfed her. She could no longer tell difference between her screams of sorrow from the monster's screams of hunger. What was the difference anyways? She was no different from the ugly creature, after all, it was her fault that Grunkle Stan was now nothing more than a cold, bloody mess of dead weight. It was her fault that what little family she had left was in danger, wasting their time trying to save her.

She didn't want to be saved. She didn't _deserve_ to be saved. Mabel had let her family down; had stupidly ran off for something that would _never_ be worth the price of her grunkle's life. She didn't even get to say goodbye, didn't have the chance to at least return the words he so lovingly wasted on her. _Why?_ Why him? Why not her? It should have been her!

She made sure her twin brother and her other grunkle knew just as much. She screamed, kicked, punched, and cried; she did everything to vocalize her thoughts of just that as her brother picked her up and ran out of the cave. The disgusting creature from earlier having been crushed under the rocks which were still falling all around them; how she hadn't been crushed already was something she briefly considered as unfortunate. From the corner of her eyes, which were quickly being dominated by black spots, Mabel could make out Grunkle Ford carrying her Grunkle Stan while running alongside Dipper. He must have picked him up while removing him from on top of her so Dipper could carry his own twin.

As if feeling her gaze, he turned to glance at her with a matrix of emotions swirling in his eyes and dried tear tracks on his face. Mabel turned away with her own tears still falling; she couldn't bring herself to look at him, not after the damage she had caused. She doesn't know what he, or her brother for that matter, is feeling or thinking right now. And if she she was being honest with herself, she didn't want to find out. If the roles were switched, she didn't think she could ever live with what he must be thinking of her right now.

Dipper peered down at his sister as he and Grunkle Ford made their way into the mystery shack.

At some point she had finally passed out from the fight she had been putting up as they ran to safety.

They both trudged in, not giving a care about the rain, mud, and other things trailing behind them. The two were soaked and shivering, skin turning blue and panting from exhaustion. However, none of that mattered to them. All Dipper and Ford could focus on were their siblings who were lying in their arms.

Dipper was afraid, he did not dare look at his grunkles. He couldn't bare to witness what had happened to Grunkle Stan. He didn't think he could face the pure grief his Grunkle Ford was sure to have; not bothering to try to keep his emotions hidden like he sometimes did.

Mabel almost died and he wasn't nearly as strong as his Grunkle Ford. Just the thought of being in Grunkle Ford's position right now, of Mabel dead within his very arms, gave him an indescribable combination of emotions.

This was wrong. Everything was wrong. He hadn't thought this chain events would occur. This wasn't how he wanted things would turn out. What he did know was that he didn't want to think about it anymore. He didn't want to think, feel, or listen to anything around him. He just wanted to sleep and for Mabel to be okay. That's all he wanted.

With that thought in mind, he made his way to their room without a single look in his grunkle's direction. Dipper cleaned her and himself up; then set her down in her bed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. He stared down at her, watching the way her eyes flickered and the heavy frown marring her face. He felt the same frown on his own face as he continued to watch.

Dipper knew better than to hope that everything would turn out alright and that their little family would make it through. He knew for a fact that his sister and Grunkle would never be the same again; especially when the person they holded very dear to them was now beyond saving. Neither would he; however he had to be strong, he had to protect the last two most important people he had in his life now. If he wasn't couldn't be strong then who was going to keep them from destroying themselves?

With those thoughts still running through his head, he sat on the floor next to his sister's bed trying to keep watch for any unwanted guests.

 _Except there was one person he couldn't see, one who was always watching. And he was enraged._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was funny really. Even as a statue, weathered down and covered in moss, Bill still gave an aura that said loud and clear not to touch or come anywhere near him. The area around him was covered in dead plants; not a single animal or insect dared to come within a few miles of the clearing Grunkle Ford and I were in. I noticed it when the noise in the forest slowly came to a hush and the light from the afternoon sun was steadily becoming blocked out by the increasing number of trees. It was like all the life was being starting to drain from the forest and I hoped it wasn't affecting Grunkle Ford too much. After all, we had already lost one life, one life too many.

Looking at Bill now, in the state he was in, I couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction knowing that I was part of the reason he was dead. Or at least he was _supposed_ to be dead. I had _hoped_ he was dead. However, I was starting to have my own doubts and the look in Grunkle Ford's eyes as he stared down at the statue was only adding to the dread piling in the pit of my stomach.

What were we _doing_ here? This was insane, he couldn't seriously be serious about going through with this. I mean after everything we did to defeat him and now we were trying to bring him back? We have no clue if this is even going to work and if it does? What then, huh? He's already proven that he can't be trusted. We can't seriously be considering asking him for help. What if the price is too high? What if he asks us for something we can't possibly do? There are too many risks. It was a mistake coming here. We need to leave. We should just forget about even coming here and just _go_ -

"Dipper!"

I was quickly snapped out of my hyperventilating by the sound of Grunkle Ford and automatically started scoping out my surrounding. By now it was a force of habit, I mean after everything I've been through, I've learned it's best to never let your guard down.

I could hear the crunch of the dead grass as he moved a few feet from me to turn around and examine the statue before us. Never before had I ever seen such a look of abhorrence on his face like he did now.

"After all these years, I never would have thought I would need to see the likes of you again _Bill_."

"Grunkle Ford this is ridiculous! You can't possibly-!" I threw my arms out and had started to express my thought; however, I stopped short at the look he threw my way. Grunkle Ford usually had a calm demeanor about him and when he was mad he usually had good control over it. Yet, that wasn't the case here. Grunkle Ford was one of those men where you could see his life stories and adventures in his body and age. He had plenty of scars and wrinkles to account for, and the number only grew as the years passed by. There was rage and grief in his eyes and if you looked deep enough you could catch the glint of desperation he was trying to hide.

"You know just as much as I do that this is are only hope! I can't think of what else to do. We have to do this, we have to at least _try_." Grunkle Ford's tone sent chills down my back as he took a few steps towards me.

I can't let him do this. I made a vow to protect him. If there really was a chance- which there wasn't- that Bill could be summoned then it was my job to stop Ford before he made a terrible mistake. He wasn't thinking right, he's not in his right state of mind. Was it not him who had taught me to not trust anyone?

"And we are! There has to be something, _anything_ , but not can look for another solution! We- You can't seriously think that this will work. You know-" At this point we were having an all out yelling match and Grunkle Ford had a tight grip on my upper arms. Why couldn't he just listen?! Doesn't he realize the danger he's putting us in?

"No! No! I've explained it to you already. I will not repeat myself. Why are you so hesitant? You of all people should understand, you of all people should be jumping at this opportunity! Remember why we came here in the first place! Remember who's at home, rotting away without a care in the world! Stop and think about the facts Dipper. I know that this isn't the solution we both want but you have to admit that even you have some hope that this will work. I can see it in your eyes, you can't deny it."

He was right. A part of me, no matter how far I pushed it away, was hoping that this would work. I _needed_ it to work. I couldn't deny it, a part of me couldn't care less about the risks and the danger the opportunity presented. We had tried just about everything we could think of. Sure, if we could just stop a moment and think more, search a little more then maybe we could find a better solution. But lets face it, there wasn't a guarantee that it would work. That was the thing about Bill, at least he would get the job done. Whether it was done it was done the way you wanted it done or not was besides the point; he would still keep his end of the deal and the job would get done.

Dipper was at his wit's end. He was so tired. All he wanted was his family back to normal. He wanted his family to be happy and healthy. That's all he wanted. He knew it was too much to ask for, he knew that there would always be a piece missing from all of their lives now that Grunkle Stan was no longer with them. But still! Was it really so much to wish for?

Dipper looked up to his Grukle, staring him in the eyes. He thought back on the last month. He thought about what led them to where they were right now. Back to the person they were doing it for, the person he held most dear. _Mabel._

* * *

 _It had been weeks. A month and 2 weeks to be exact. And not once had Mabel showed a sign of getting better._

 _After the incident had occurred that night, Mabel had completely… stopped living. She wasn't herself anymore. It was almost like she had turned into a lifeless puppet._

 _Everything that made Mabel herself simply vanished. Her randomness and spark died out. She stopped smiling and laughing. She stopped making her famous Mabel juice and colorful sweaters she loved so much. She stopped playing and her imagination was no longer full of color and life. The life and happiness she carried around her, that used to brighten up anyone's day, completely vanished._

 _She didn't do anything of her own will, she simply let others move her around and do as they please. If it weren't for her brother and grunkle then she would be happily decaying in the her bed up in the cold attic._

 _Dipper refused to allow her that pleasure. He made took care of her needs and made sure that she got everything she needed. He fed her, bathed her, clothed her, he did everything a parent would do for their child. Except there was only so much he could do for her; her bloodshot eyes with bags under them and the fact that you felt like her bones would snap with just the slightest pressure proved as much._

 _Only Soos knew how to cook decent food that Mabel could manage to choke down a few bites of. Being as it was, Dipper only knew what Stan had taught him how to cook and Ford only knew how to heat up ramen. And considering Mabel couldn't bare anything that reminded her of Stan (hence why she only stayed in her room with the covers over her eyes) the two went to Soos for help._

 _She wouldn't sleep anymore. She couldn't. It was the only time she refused to do as they asked. She could barely close her eyes without seeing images of bright blood, sickly green smoke, and the eyes of her Grunkle Stan. Those eyes that used to hold so much life and love; that used to look down on her with adoration and affection. Eyes that were 5 feet under_ because of her _._

 _Dipper couldn't blame her, none of them had slept those first few days. However, it was Mabel who had never gotten passed them. She had taken it the worst. She would wake up every night screaming bloody murder and crying her heart out. It would get to the point that she would claw at her skin, drawing blood, and pull out her hair. She would repeat the same words over and over; not stopping until hours later and slumping into Dipper's arms, allowing him to fix her up._

 _It hadn't been until recently that Ford had joined in the efforts of trying to get Mabel back to her original state of mind. Ford had been dealing with his own grief in his own way. He was angry and regretful and guilty. He couldn't face the twins, especially Mabel._

 _He knew it wasn't her fault but he was so… so_ mad _. He had missed a great deal of Stanley's life. Of course they had made up for it after he had came back and had two amazing great kids with them, they were a perfect family. And then… and then she does something stupid! Despite how hard he tried not to, a part of him blamed her for it all .He knows she hadn't meant for any of it to happen but that doesn't change the fact that it had happened. Now Stanley is gone instead of by his side. He had hoped that they would still have a few more years together._

 _He was just so mad and then it had happened. For a while, Ford had locked himself down in the basement so he wouldn't accidentally lash out at her. He didn't want her to feel worse than she already did if what she said that night was any indication. He had no idea what was going on without him while being down there. It wasn't until Dipper had shown up one particular night that he realized that he wasn't the only one in shambles._

 _It wasn't unusual for Dipper to come check up on him. After all, if it wasn't for the boy then Ford wouldn't be in good enough health. However, it was the fact that the boy was sobbing and that he was waking Ford up during one of the few times he got sleep that he realized something beyond him was terribly wrong. Dipper had been crying so much that he barely understood what her was saying. But he could make out one thing, a single phrase as he griped the boy._

"P-lease! P-please help her!" _Dipper cried out as he continued to sob and shake violently. His eyes were wide and held such panic and desperation. Ford felt a wave of guilt and dread hit him. There was only one person Dipper could be talking about. And he had been trying to keep away from her as much as possible when she had needed him most._

 _He ran up to her room, each step becoming faster and faster as the volume of screams increased. He had never heard her sound like that, the raw emotion she conveyed in her screams were something he himself had felt. However, this… this was on a completely different level._

 _He slammed the door open, Dipper right behind him. He almost wished he hadn't have opened the door. His heart and breathing stopping for a moment at the sight that lay before him._

 _Mabel laid there in her bed looking up towards the ceiling; the covers having been thrown to the ground and showing the bandages covering her body that weren't hidden by her white nightgown. Her screams were echoing throughout the room, but that wasn't the most disturbing part of the whole scene._

 _No, it was that her whole body was completely still while her eyes and mouth were wide open. Her eyes were unfocused; what were usually bright and warm brown irises were now faded and dark brown eyes full of overflowing tears._

 _He was completely frozen ashe watched Dipper push his way passed to get to his sister's side. What was he supposed to do? This was worse than he could have imagine. How long had she been like this? How long had Dipper gone through this by himself? Why hadn't he noticed sooner? Here he was wallowing in his anger and self-pity while his great niece and nephew were suffering. How could have he let himself stoop so low?_

 _Dipper had been strong for them in his place when really it should have been up to him to keep his family together and offer his comfort. Looking at them now, he realized he had to step up and be the adult and be there for them like he should have from the beginning. He was there Grunkle and he'd be damned if he wasn't there for them a second longer. He would apologize, he would help Dipper take care of Mabel, and he'd take care of Dipper. He was late but it's better than never, right? He could only hope Mabel could find it in her heart to forgive him one day. However, right now he had a great niece to take care of._

 _From the looks of it, Mabel couldn't be waken up from the night terror she was suffering. Not to mention that he had a feeling it would get worse if she saw him. After all, him and Stanley were twins and in her current state, she wouldn't be able to make that connection and he feared what would happen. He had to think and come up with something fast._

' _Come on, come on! Think of something! I can't bare to see them like this anymore. What relieves one from night terrors? What do I have that can calm her down and turn her nightmares to dreams?' Ford continued to ponder on this as Dipper was starting to get impatient with him._

" _Aha! That's it! Dipper, my boy, wait here! I have just the thing! Don't worry, I know I haven't been there for you like I should have been but I'm here now. I'm going to make it up to you two as best as I can. We will get through this_ together, _I promise_. _"_

 _With that ran down missing the wide stunned, hopeful look from Dipper's retrieved what he was looking for and dashed his way back to the twins' room. Dipper watched as his Grunkle carefully walked towards his sister with a small bottle labeled 'Dream Salt'. Dipper had read about it once before; it was salt formed from good dreams, seawater, and pure white sand. Dipper watched as he opened the bottle and poured the slightly glowing grains over Mabel's body. They both watched in relief as the salt melted into her skin and her screaming came to a sudden stop. Her tears came to a stop as well and her eyes slowly closed shut._

 _Dipper had been so relieved, so happy. She was asleep! And she wasn't frowning, crying, or even screaming. He should have thought of this sooner but at the same he was kind of glad he didn't. Because now he had his Grunkle Ford back, and he promised he wouldn't leave him by himself anymore. He couldn't help but run to his grunkle and tackle him into a hug. Feeling him tightly wrap his arms around the boy was something Dipper had missed and needed._

 _They had stayed like that for a while, both cherishing each other's presence. However all good things come to an end, and after a while Ford had asked Dipper to tell him everything that had been going on. His heart started feeling heavier with every word the boy muttered; and the hopelessness of the situation was starting to make him desperate. From what Dipper has told him, Dipper had already tried everything he could to help his sister. And Ford knew better than to question Dipper on this matter, If he says he's tried everything then he tried_ everything _._

" _I- I don't know what I'm going to do Grunkle Ford. I've already tried everything I could possibly get my hands on and I've called several doctors. None of them had anything that some other doctor had already said to try. Not to mention that the journals had nothing that could truly help Mabel's condition. I definitely wasn't going to try to giver her all of them without knowing how they would affect her when used together."_

 _Damn it! Was that really all there was to it? Were they just going to have to watch as Mabel wasted away? There had to be something, something that no one would dare do because it was too risky, too dangerous. Wait._

" _Dipper, pack up some gear and call Soos over to watch over Mabel. I have a theory and it's incredibly risky and you won't like it. However, you will just have to trust me on this."_

" _Wait, where are we going? It's already dawn." Dipper didn't like the sound of the serious tone his Grunkle had taken on or his word choice for that matter. Not to mention the hard look in his eyes; it made Dipper a little anxious and wary of what was going on in his grunkle's mind. After all, Grunkle Ford had been in a less severe state of mind than Mabel is in._

" _I'll explain on the way there. I want to get this done with as fast as possible."_

" _At least tell me where we'll be going!"_

 _Fine. However if I tell you where we're going then you_ must _go with me no matter what. Understand?"_

 _Dipper had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer but his curiosity got the best of him. And it's not like he had a choice anyways, this was for Mabel and he definitely wasn't going to let hi grunkle go on his own._

" _Fine. I promise I'll come along no matter what. Just tell me where we'll be going and what we'll be visiting."_

" _We are going into the woods. There's a certain dream demon's statue we need to find."_

 _Dipper's eyes widen and his face paled. "W-wait, y-you don't mean we're going to look for-!"_

" _Indeed I do. Prepare to meet **Bill Cipher**."_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Being a dream demon had its perks. You could do anything you want, see whatever you want, and go wherever you want. With his power, there was nothing to stop him. He was invincible and the only rules he had to follow were his own. If Bill wanted something then he would get it. It didn't matter how long he had to wait, after all, good things come to those who wait. In the rare cases that they did not, then Bill knew how to play the game He's had a few millennium to make practice perfect. All he had to do was offer something they wanted, something they couldn't possibly deny.

However, there was a limit to his patience; and right now, watching these two fools are pushing him far beyond it _. It was infuriating._

It didn't matter that he had all the time in the world. These two idiots were wasting his time; something he definitely didn't appreciate. If they wanted to pass time arguing back and forth then be his guess. He could care less about what they did in their _own_ time, but as stated before, this was _his_ time. He had a few favors to call in, new deals to make, and an important girl to attend to. All he needed were these two buffoons to hurry up, summon him, and make a deal with him.

After his defeat during Weirdmageddon, Bill had lost a majority of his power. It was the reason he had turned to stone, he is a dream demon after all. If he couldn't move then he couldn't make deals, and if he couldn't make deals then he would lose his power, which in turn would strip him of his immortality. The bigger the deal, the more power he gained, and the longer he lived. That's all there is to it.

Bill snapped back to the conversation as he heard Pine Tree's reluctant agreement.

"Just… Just do it already! I don't want to be here any longer than I need to. I want to get back to Mabel as soon as I can and make sure she's alright." Dipper gave in. He took a few steps to get out of his great uncle's grip and looked towards the ground while folding his arms across his chest. A habit, Bill had figured, he did when he was upset over something that wasn't going the way he wanted/ thought it should be; and in some cases where he thought he was correct about something.

Finally! At this particular point in time, Bill couldn't remember words that sounded sweeter than the words Dipper reluctantly muttered. Well actually he could but you get the point. Good grief, that took longer than it really needed to. Afterall, if Bill knew anything about the Pines' family, it was that family came first.

"Great! I knew you'd eventually come around and see reason. Do you have everything we need for the summoning?"

Dipper rolled his eyes in exasperation. _Of course_ he had everything, he wasn't about to screw this up _._ "Yeah. Why don't you take a rest while I set everything up? It's already noon and even if you don't admit it, your age is starting to take its toll on you."

"I'm perfectly fine! I'm not _that_ old." Ford huffed. He looked extremely offended and a little red in the face. He, just like Dipper, pulled his arms across his chest.

Dipper smirked and let out a laugh. "Uh huh, that's why you had to take a few stops on our way here. Not to mention that it's your fault that we're both covered in dirt and scratches from when you accidentally bumped into me and we both ended up falling down that one hill. That only happens to geniuses when they start getting old. You sure you're not going senile? "

"I-I was distracted and wasn't looking at where I was walking is all. Enough of this idle chit-chat. Just focus on doing what you're supposed to be doing." Ford said indignantly, walking a few feet away from the stone statue that Dipper was still in front of.

He watched as Dipper drew Bill's summoning circle and lit the candles. He knew the boy really didn't want to do this but what else was there to do? He could only hope that this works. It has to work, he didn't want Dipper to lose his twin as he had. The pain was unbearable.

"Alright Grunkle Ford, it's all set up! Let's get this done and over with already." Dipper called, snapping Ford out of his thoughts and unknowingly getting a whoop from Bill.

Ford got up and made his way over to Dipper, a sense of dread and hope warring in the pit of his stomach. 'You can't back down now! This is the only option that we have left. I can do this, I know I can. You know Bill, all you have to do is make sure there aren't any loopholes.'

Bill watched with his figure leaning forward, legs stretched out in front of him, and rubbing his hands together. His eye is wide open in anticipation as Ford is now standing within the circle. He could feel a certain energy stirring in the breeze. He could feel it ready, waiting for Ford to use it in whatever way he pleased. It was the same indescribable power Bill once had at the tips of his fingers, always at his beck and call with a snap of a finger. The same power he was about to call his own once again.

Ford cleared his throat, took a deep breath in, and closed his eyes. In a deceivingly strong voice, Ford began to chant the familiar words he has spoken many times in the past.

 _Triangulum entangulum, Meteforis dominus ventium, Meteforis venetisarium_

 _Egassem sdrawkcab!_

 _Egassem sdrawkcab!_

 _Egassem sdrawkcab!_

 _Egassem sdrawkcab!_

 _Egassem sdrawkcab!_

… Nothing happened.

Ford turned around, his eyes downcast, as an unbearable feeling of disappointment and hopelessness weighed down on him. What was there to do now? Their last hope was a complete fail. Bill was their last hope! Ford has no idea how he's going to take care of the twins now. He didn't think he had the strength to watch Mable slowly deteriorate right before his eyes, or Dipper's for that fact. He couldn't help but w-

Ford's head snapped up as he heard Dipper yelp and then completely froze at what happened next.

 _As if in slow motion, there was a flash of brilliant blue and suddenly everything turned gray._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _Have you ever noticed that, when asking someone their favorite color, you rarely ever hear someone mention the color gray? How come? Why couldn't people see the beauty that the color held? It had a multitude of meanings and it was up to the person to make the best of it. Gray didn't have a defined meaning. It could mean you're content or sad or just about anything you wanted it to mean. That didn't mean the color was as depressing as others made it out to be._

 _However, that could be somewhat bias considering that when it came to Bill, the color usually meant something interesting was going to take place._

* * *

In this particular moment, nothing looked as beautiful as this moment did. Everything, besides the two men gawking at him, is drenched in gray. The trees that weren't stirring, the cloud-filled sky that wasn't moving, and the dead grass that was no longer crunching was painted a beautiful, simplistic shade of gray. Everything is completely still and quiet. It was… peaceful.

Bill wanted nothing more than to take a few hours and bask in this moment but he had a deal to make and a snuffed out star to revive.

Bill lowered himself towards eye level with the two men, not bothering with the whole routine of flashy entrances and maniacal laughter. There was no time for that. He realized that this was going to be a long day considering that the two fools in front of him still hadn't uttered a peep other than the yelp from Pine Tree at his appearance.

Bill sighed, they were going to make this difficult, weren't they?

With a huff he said, " Took you long enough. You would think that you two would know better than to waste my time. Let's get this over with already, I've got important things to do and I don't want to waste anymore time than we already have."

Dipper was the first to respond, sputtering like a fish out of water. "B-Bill?" He asked meekly. " I-I don't understand. I didn't think this would work. We defeated you! You shouldn't even be here. H-How can you be here?" Dipper looked like he was about to have a panic attack. He was breathing shallowly, his hands were clutching his hair tightly, and his face was flushed and sweaty. Ford, on the other hand, looked ready to faint. His face had drained of all its color and Bill could see the slight tremors going throughout his body. Here were two of the Pines' who managed to defeat him and yet they still coward at the sight of him. Bill couldn't decide if he should laugh or feel pity for the two.

Bill cut him off with a growl, starting to get annoyed. "Shut it, Pine Tree. Didn't you hear a word I just said? Every second you waste, is another second Shooting Star loses. I don't know about you but I'm not particularly fond of that happening. That said, ca-"

Dipper's head whipped up to look at Bill at the mention Bill's pet name for his twin sister. His eyes burning with rage, hope, and desperation.

"Wait. So you know what's happening to Mabel? How do you know that if you've been stuck in the statue for all these years? Does that mean you know how to help her?"

"Dipper, wait a mome-" Ford could see the tell-tale signs of Bill getting frustrated. He needed to calm down Dipper before things got out of hand. Although it's easier said than done considering Dipper wasn't even paying him a ounce of attention.

"You are going to help her right? Wait, what do you mean you wouldn't be "fond of that"? Why do you care anyways? You better answer me right now Bill! Wha-"

Remember what was said about patience? About how Bill had a limit to said patience? That he had all the patience in the world if it meant that he would get what he want? That didn't apply to now.

" _Shut up!"_ Bill could feel himself starting to bleed red with each question that poured from Dipper's mouth. Did this kid not understand that they were running out of time? How many times did he say that time wasn't on their side? Did he not care that his sister was suffering every second that passed by? Was his curiosity that important that it couldn't wait until after things were taken care of?

Both men flinched, Ford made his way towards Dipper and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Dipper," Ford whispered, afraid to upset bill more than he already was. "You need to calm down and take a breath. I know you have many questions running through your head, as do I. However, we are here for a reason. As Bill has said, we do not have much time. It is already nearing evening. We need to hurry and make a deal. Once that is dealt with, we will come back to deal with Bill. Do you understand?"

Dipper's breathing calmed as he looked into his Grunkle's eyes. He took a deep breath as he glanced at Bill and then back to his Great Uncle. "Yeah. Yeah, I got it."

Dipper straightened his spine out. Standing as tall as he could manage and fixing his composure, Dipper turned to glare at Bill with determination gleaming in his eyes.

"Bill… Lets make a deal."

* * *

 **Ugh, testing is such a pain in the butt!**

 **Anyways~ Sorry! I should have had this up weeks ago and this chapter is pretty short.**

 **Don't worry though! Next chapter should be longer and better. If you see any grammar mistakes then please let me know.**

 **Oh! And thank you so much for actually taking the time to read and follow my story!**

 **Much love~**


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